This disclosure relates to aircraft in general, and in particular, to a system carried aboard an aircraft, such as a large commercial jetliner, that is capable of providing the instantaneous weight and balance of the aircraft, i.e., its total weight and the location of its center of gravity (CG), in a quick, reliable and accurate manner.
An aircraft's weight and balance is one of the most critical factors affecting its flight safety. An overweight aircraft, or one whose center of gravity is outside the allowable limits, is both inefficient and dangerous to fly. The responsibility for proper weight and balance control begins with the engineers and designers who design the aircraft, and extends to the Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) who maintains the aircraft, the “loadmaster” who is responsible for loading fuel, baggage and cargo aboard it, and ultimately, to the pilot who operates it.
Two elements are vital in an aircraft's weight and balance determinations: The total weight of the aircraft must be no greater than the maximum gross weight allowable for the particular make and model of the aircraft and the particular types of flight operations that it is to undertake; and the location of its CG, or the point at which all of the weight of the aircraft is considered to be concentrated, relative to its center of lift (COL) or mean aerodynamic chord (MAC), which must be maintained within the range allowable for the particular operational weight of the aircraft. Weight and CG determine field lengths, rotation velocities, decision speeds, and horizontal stabilizer settings. CG must be considered relative to the landing gear positions to control loading and ground handling characteristics.
An aircraft's initial weight and balance is determined while the aircraft is situated on the ground. Accordingly, one practical way of determining an aircraft's weight and balance is to measure the respective loads imposed on the ground by the aircraft's landing gear and its attitude relative to the horizontal, if any, and then, using a well-known algorithm, to calculate the aircraft's weight and CG location. The best way to determine the landing gear ground loads is to measure them directly, i.e., with a calibrated scale placed under each gear. However, this is a fairly impractical technique for very large aircraft that may be deployed in field locations that lack the requisite weighing facilities. Consequently, weight and balance measurement systems that are carried onboard the aircraft have been developed in an effort to address this problem, but unfortunately, they are complex, expensive, heavy, difficult to calibrate and maintain, and cumbersome to use.
In light of the foregoing, there is a long-felt but as yet unsatisfied need in the aviation industry for an onboard aircraft weight and balance measurement system that is accurate, reliable, less expensive, lighter in weight, and easier to calibrate, maintain and use in the field.